Report of a Solar Panel Recycling Facility
2024/6/17
Climate Reality Project Japan Intern Marimo Higa

During the Kyoto Training last month, I had the chance to visit the solar panels recycling
facility of Hamada Co., Ltd.
Solar power generation is the number one renewable energy source in Japan(reference link). As the use of solar panels increases, the importance of their disposal
and recycling also increases. The spread of solar power generation is a pillar ofsustainable energy, but its waste disposal must also be done in an environmentallyfriendly manner.
However, the current situation is that there is no recycling system in place, and many
discarded panels are not properly disposed of. A four-year research project is underway
using subsidies from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization (NEDO), a national research and development agency, but the spread of
this facility has not progressed due to the small number of companies participating.
Landfill disposal is cheap, but there is a risk of soil contamination; therefore, it is urgent
to establish an environmentally friendly recycling method.
According to NEDO, it is expected that approximately 170,000 to 280,000 tons
(reference link) of panels will be discarded annually from 2035 to 2037, which isequivalent to 1.7% to 2.7% of the final disposal volume of industrial waste. In order toproperly process this large amount of discarded panels, recycling technology andinfrastructure must be developed.
Currently, there is a lack of facilities and regulations for recycling solar panels in Japan,
and many panels are not properly recycled.
There are several possible challenges and necessary solutions.
First of all, there is the issue of capacity of recycling facilities. According to JPEA (Japan
Photovoltaic Energy Association), there are 35 industrial waste intermediate treatmentcompanies nationwide that can recycle solar panels (reference link). Furthermore,considering the amount of panels to be discarded, both existing facilities and capacity
are insufficient. In order to efficiently process large amounts of panels, it is necessary toexpand and improve recycling facilities.

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There are also technical challenges. Recycling solar panels requires technology toefficiently separate and reuse them from their complex structures. In particular, it isdifficult to remove adhesives and sealing materials, and it is also difficult to reuse siliconcells. In order to solve this technical challenge, it is necessary to develop new recycling
technologies and improve existing technologies.
Awareness and dissemination are also essential. There is a lack of awareness of theimportance and potential of recycling, and many businesses are unaware of the optionof recycling, so it has not become widely known. Sharing information and education isimportant and necessary to widely communicate the benefits of recycling.
Finally, recycling may not be economically viable with high recycling costs and fallingprices of new panels. In order to make recycling economically viable, cost efficiency
must be improved. Support from the government and companies, and the introductionof incentives and subsidy systems to promote recycling are considered essential.
However, recycling will not progress purely on economic rationality alone, so legal
development is necessary. Currently, in Japan, the choice of recycling has notprogressed due to the lack of clear legal regulations regarding the recycling of solar
panels and the low cost of landfill processing. Therefore, the introduction of recycling
obligations, provision of incentives, and strengthening of disposal regulations arerequired. It is important to promote recycling and build a sustainable energy system bypromoting legal development.
Hamada Co., Ltd., where we visited, established the Solar Panel Recycling Associationand has a network throughout Japan. In addition, as an environmental solutions
business, it collects industrial waste and purchases iron, and also develops metal
recycling and waste consulting businesses.
Let’s take a look at the recycling procedure for solar panels as seen at the factory.
First, from a normal unbroken panel,
1. Aluminum frame removal

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● The panel is placed on an aluminum frame removal device. This device canquickly and efficiently remove the frame from the junction box (the box thatconnects the solar panel to the wiring). The processing time is about 60 seconds
per panel, and this process allows the components of the panel to be separated.
2. Separation of glass and cells3● Next, the process moves to the separation of the glass and the cells (the solarcell part). In this process, a hot knife at about 300 degrees is used to separate
the glass from the cells. This also takes about 60 seconds per panel. After
separation, the components of the glass are analyzed and those that can bereused are separated from those that cannot.
3. Crushing● The crushed powder is separated into two types by particle size using a vibrating
sieve. The finer particles with a higher content of valuable materials are sold to arefining manufacturer, and silver, copper, etc. are recovered. By crushing andsorting by particle size, the value can be increased and transportation efficiency
is also improved.
The process is different for cracked panels, as the aluminum frame cannot be removed.
Although the PV recycling hammer is a generic recycling equipment, it solves theproblems of the equipment of earlier manufacturers, such as "high cost, complex
equipment structure, difficulty in processing broken panels, insufficient peeling. This
technology has a processing capacity of more than 50,000 panels per year, and canalso process broken panels. Glass is recovered as cullet (crushed glass) and is ideal for"aggregation" (reuse as construction material). Currently, 22 PV recycling hammershave been delivered or ordered nationwide.
1. Crushing process:
The PV recycling hammer is a machine for crushing solar panels into smallpieces. It separates the glass, silicon, metal frame, and other materials that makeup the panel. The hammer rotates at high speed and applies physical force tocrush the panel.
2. Material sorting

After crushing, a process continues to efficiently separate different materials.
Technologies such as magnetic sorting, flotation, and eddy current separation areused to individually recover reusable materials such as metal, glass, and silicon.
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Used panels are also bought, but the falling unit price of new panels is disadvantageous
to the reuse business. Panels less than 10 years old can be reused, but repair isdifficult. In addition, there is a dilemma that the demand for reused panels decreases
when new panels are available at low cost. Furthermore, many corporations such as
power generation companies, installers, and insurance companies (disaster) do notknow that panels can be reused.
Through the tour, I learned that recycling solar panels is extremely important in building
a sustainable society. As the spread of solar power generation, a clean energy source,
progresses, its disposal must also be done in an environmentally friendly manner. Inaddition, recycling will not progress in a situation where there are no regulations andselection is based only on cost, so I strongly felt that legislation is necessary. By
addressing these issues, it will be possible to build a sustainable energy system. I would
like to continue learning and sharing this knowledge with my fellow interns as well as
the newly reformed Action Group!

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